The only way to sell it at swap boards or auction sites is to sell the equipment 'as is.'

Funny, but that's the ONLY way that E-bay will let you list used electronics for sale on their site. Their two choices are equipment that is 'as is, in operational condition' or that is 'as is, non-operational, for parts only'.

That tells a person that as a used item, anything could possibly happen 1 day after sale, 10 years after sale, or the buyer may honk the item up themselves....not sure how that protects the Seller, but at least I agree with Ebay on that.

It really tells a buyer that the item is used and may or may not work properly due to a number of things--including damages incurred during shipping. It's too bad that some unscrupulous sellers are using it otherwise--but that is the reason this thread is here. Honesty, and the possible lack of it!

What’s happing in Ham Radio these days, Where has honesty amount hams gone. I’ve been in this hobby for 50yrs. and it appears trust among us is getting worst. My latest dealing is with W9YQ Tom Manthel, Odenville, Al. Ph 214 728 7248. Bought an Amp from him. got home turned it on and it blew fuse. Checked out and found 1 shorted filter cap, 2 leaking. called Tom told him about the problem. advised him it would take about $70 to correct. would u be willing to pick up $30 on repairs. He agreed. Called 3 times e-mail 4 times no response. It’s not the $30, It’s the dishonesty that burns me. W4CDI Doug :twisted:

It's not what's happening to ham radio, it's what's happening to people in general. Gone are the days of business based on a handshake. You just can't trust people anymore. It's really too bad because there are still a few good people out there.

Yes, there are dishonest fellows everywhere. I've just been reading the August 1965 issue of "73" magazine and I noticed a note from the late Mr. Green in which he mentions a fellow borrowed an SX-73 of his. The fellow then promptly sold the receiver, and pocketed the money!

Uh-oh. I just listed my HF radio on here and on QTH.com. Sounds like I'm asking for trouble.

Valerie ~ NV9L

One piece of advise I may offer you. Document, document, document, whatever it is you are listing/selling. I sold N5IZ a practically brand new 590 and he accused me of selling him a radio that wasn't right, didn't work right, etc., etc. It did work correctly and I don't even think Kenwood even did anything to it, other than a standard alignment, which they would do anyway. Short story, I am out $200 becuase I chose to get the radio up to snuff, likely way over paid, and begged this guy to sell it to someone that will actually read the manual and learn how to use it. I failed because I didn't document the radio enough (i.e. photos, videos, etc.). Sure, I could have told him to cram it, but I would preferred to have seen this really nice radio in someone else's hands. Well, he made out like a bandit. $200 off me, now it's up for sale and he probably will make over $300 plus off it. I could have kept it and should have. Another life lesson learned, the hard way. There were many red flags I missed because I was "hurried" by this guy.

Good luck and there are lots of good folks out there, just some of the crowd are less then stellar. Wishing you the best.

I don't sell any hobby equipment. On occasion, when someone needs parts, I offer to send them FREE if person will pay shipping. Otherwise, the equipment is totally disabled (a bottle of battery acid from the auto parts store works well) and sold for scrap (after being hosed off). Too many problems any other way. Sometimes its hard to destroy some of that neat equipment but, then, I just think of the headaches I've avoided.Tom

Nobody likes getting taken advantage of, but many folks in our ranks do wander into situations that make them ripe for the picking, and then scream bloody murder and insist our collective indignation when something goes wrong....all to save a few bucks. How many times have we seen a complaint about Radiomart on this forum?

Buy new, buy used through auctions with buyer protections, buy from people you know or have some knowledge of, etc.

Do be careful selling on eBay, especially high dollar items. On eBay, the buyer has all advantages and can easily cheat you out of both your item AND the money.

All a buyer has to do is to file a SNAD (Significantly Not As Described) claim with eBay and PayPal, or claim that the item was not received. Think tracking & signature will help? uh-uh. Buyer can claim that only an empty box or box of rocks was received. Most of the time, eBay/PayPal will rule in favor of the buyer and seek a refund from you, the seller, especially if the buyer has paid with a credit card. In many cases they will get away with it.

eBay's "Seller Protection" is really a joke. Go and read the terms etc. and the methods used. Quite ineffective in most cases.

eBay is heavily biased in favor of buyers, and it has just gotten worse over the last 5 years or so.

If you want to sell, do it the old fashioned way as we did before the internet - advertise item, take paper payment ONLY unless you know and trust that the buyer won't later file a dishonest PayPal claim, and DON'T ship until payment is verified, cleared, and cannot be stopped or reversed.

If you are buying, then eBay is for you. TONS of rules etc. to make very sure that you are happy, honest or not.

I really hate getting anything on ebay. If I do, it's something that I can afford to loose. I know PayPal is can be a problem for sellers from unscrupulous buyers, but I wouldn't even look at a Item if PayPal isn't accepted. All I expect is to get what ever I'm buying in the condition it's advertised in and shipped in the time stated. I really don't want to hear about the sick dog, the grandmother that needs brain surgery, or how far it is to the post office. I've made many hobby purchases over the years and only had to file one dispute, and that was resolved before being escalated to a claim. At least with PayPal if they're trying to screw you, you can put in a claim and if they are more than likely they won't accept PayPal.

I really hate getting anything on ebay. If I do, it's something that I can afford to loose. I know PayPal is can be a problem for sellers from unscrupulous buyers, but I wouldn't even look at a Item if PayPal isn't accepted. All I expect is to get what ever I'm buying in the condition it's advertised in and shipped in the time stated. I really don't want to hear about the sick dog, the grandmother that needs brain surgery, or how far it is to the post office. I've made many hobby purchases over the years and only had to file one dispute, and that was resolved before being escalated to a claim. At least with PayPal if they're trying to screw you, you can put in a claim and if they are more than likely they won't accept PayPal.

I've had over 250 transactions on ebay and only had a real problem once where I lost money. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I stay away from sellers who have low feedback numbers, bad feedback, and poorly written ads.

I stay away from sellers who have low feedback numbers, bad feedback, and poorly written ads.

Absolutely. It's almost uncanny how you can get a feel for what you're dealing with just by noting the seller's choice of words, spelling, grammar, etc. Another thing I've found useful in feedback is to see how much conflict he's had with his buyers. If he shows a pattern of replying with "can't fix stupid....." etc in his follow-ups to feedback he's received, you can be certain that the problem lies with him and not his "stupid" buyers.

I have been buying on ebay for many years and have never had a problem.I always do my home work before buying from a seller,a little time spent checking a sellers feedback and reading the post's other's have posted for them can save you from having a problem,just take the time to check them out before you slap your hard earned money down.AND ebay and paypal have always been there to help if needed.HAVE a good day.

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